Project Management Assignment 3

Diploma in Project Management

Acknowledgements

This project (Documentation) presents the maximum effort of me and I should thank and express the gratitude among the following:

Lecturer : G. Sekar IT Resource : Technical Staff And special thanks should be given to

All My Friends and My Colleagues AND All the Staff Members of

London Business School

Thank You!

Project Management Assignment 2 | Acknowledgements 1

Diploma in Project Management Table of Content

Chapter 01: Question 1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Chapter 02: Question 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Chapter 03: Question 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 Chapter 04: Question 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16 Chapter 05: Question 5…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17 Chapter 06: Reference …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20

Project Management Assignment 2 | Table of Content 2

Diploma in Project Management Introduction

Assignment Objectives Understand and explain the various types of software that is used widely used in the project management and the advantages of those softwares Explaining and understanding the importance of managing suppliers and subcontractors in project management Understanding and explaining various types of problem solving tools and techniques Understanding and explaining the importance of follow up in the project management context Understanding and explaining the importance of documentation in project completion and hand over

This is the third assignment of the Diploma in Project management. In this project the main flow is formed of questions and answers basis. 5 main questions are asked in this project and sub-questions are included within 5 main questions.

The main titles explained here are Project Management Softwares, Suppliers, Sub-contractors, and handling them, Problem solving Tools, Techniques, follow up and understanding importance of them, importance of documentation and also project completion.

Keywords – Microsoft project, Project Manager, Management Skills, Organizations, Organization Structure, Motivation, Follow up.

Project Management Assignment 2 | Introduction 3

Diploma in Project Management Chapter 1: Question 1

This is the first question of the project.

1.0 Explain the various types of software tools available for the project management and their advantages There are many tools which are used in project management. the major tools in project management are as follows.  Business Plan  Milestones Check-list  Gantt  Pert  MS Project  Business Case Justification  Project Charter  Project Framework or Overview  Risk Analysis  Score Cards  Team Building  Project Communication Plan  Project Management Templates  Project Management Software Packages Above tools are very essential in project management. There are many software tools which are available today. Most of them help the project manager to handle the above mentioned activities efficiently.

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Diploma in Project Management Many of these project management apps have built-in code repositories and subversion browsers (or are built around them). A few have built-in bug and issue tracking. Others include more than just basic project management. All of them can help you keep track of activities and team members. There are both free and paid options. Some have very slick interfaces, and some are modeled more after desktop applications. All are relatively easy to use and easy to set up.

Lighthouse Lighthouse is a bug- and issue-tracking app that tracks timelines and milestones, integrates with your email client and more. You can update tickets through your inbox, manage your beta testing (by making tickets and milestones public), integrate it with subversion and manage and prioritize your tickets.

Project creation is simple; only a project title and description is required. Once a project is created, tickets, messages and milestones can be entered. Ticket creation can be done by email (the email address to send tickets to is displayed on the “Tickets” page). You can show tickets based on a variety of criteria, including date, state (open or closed) and who is responsible for them. Message creation is easier than email, and you can attach files up to 50 MB in size. When you create a milestone you simply enter the title, the date it’s due and the goals or focus for that particular milestone. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Permissions are easy to set, and you can invite users by email. One of the best features of Lighthouse is its Beacon and API integration. With the API, you can customize tickets, projects, changesets, milestones, messages and more. Integrate it with other services (such as Google Calendar), or make desktop applications that use Lighthouse. The APIs make Lighthouse infinitely more useful, because you can really customize it to fit your current workflow.

When combined with a subversion app, Lighthouse provides a pretty complete project management app for developers. Subversion integration is pretty straightforward, and the help file provided gives complete step-by-step instructions for setup.

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Diploma in Project Management Springloops Springloops is another subversion browser that integrates project management. It counts a unique AJAX code browser and Basecamp integration as among its features.

CreativePro Office CreativePro Office offers complete office management tools. CreativePro Office is completely free, setting it apart from the other apps here.

CreativePro Office has the usual tabbed navigation, including tabs for clients, projects, time sheets, finances and team members. The dashboard presents a calendar with upcoming events, a list of your projects, outstanding invoices, notes and search functionality. Project creation is a bit more in-depth than with most other apps listed here, though only a client name and project name is required (you can also fill in a project URL, description or comments, category, date range, status, contacts and tags). Client tracking is integrated, making this handy for those who work with lots of different clients, and it could even serve as a simple CRM program, depending on your needs.

Integrated invoices and financial information is handy, and the finances page gives you options for viewing and creating invoices, expenses and reports.

CreativePro Office is very robust for a completely free application and is definitely worth checking out before shelling out for an expensive paid solution Jumpchart Jumpchart is a website planning application that allows you to plan the navigation of your website by creating, dragging and dropping pages into the plan. You can also add text and formatting to pages and then export your CSS files and site map when you’re finished.

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Diploma in Project Management No Kahuna No Kahuna is a simple project management and issue-tracking platform. It’s very straightforward and easy to use, with an excellent user interface. Features include task and activity tracking and collaboration tools Basecamp Basecamp is often considered to be the best project management and collaboration platform out there. Its features are impressive: to-do lists, file sharing, message boards, milestones, time tracking, project overviews and commenting.

Trac Project Trac Project is a project management app that is based on wiki functionality. It also includes a subversion browser, a timeline, ticket tracking, a road map (showing milestones and the number of current open and closed tickets) and builds status tracking.

One of Trac’s best features is the range of plug-ins available for it. There are plug-ins for Web administration, authentication, code documentation, file management, ticketing, testing, user management and version control.

JIRA JIRA is issue- and bug-tracking software that includes a lot of great features. It has advanced reporting features, workflow mapping as well as issue and project organizing; it is also customizable.

JIRA also offers a number of plug-ins to extend its functionality, including Bamboo integration, charting, time tracking, project management, a calendar and more. By using plug-ins, you can customize JIRA to meet your exact project management and issue-tracking needs

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Diploma in Project Management activeCollab activeCollab is a project management and collaboration tool that lets you set up a collaboration area right on your website. You can have unlimited projects, organized into groups for easy management.

Collaboration features include file sharing, discussions (set up like an online forum), assignments, collaborative writing and reminders. Project management features include printing and exporting, time tracking, calendar and schedule functionality, ticket management and milestones. Plug-ins (modules) mean that activeCollab can be extended to suit your specific needs.

DimDim DimDim is a Web-conferencing platform that provides collaboration tools for meeting online.

It’s scalable, reliable and flexible, with both hosted and on-site versions available.

DimDim allows you to share your desktop with those you’re meeting with, as well as share and present documents (both PowerPoint and PDFs). You can also share Whiteboards, and it has built-in voice-over-IP and teleconferencing capabilities. There are public and private chat capabilities as well as annotation and markup tools Vyew Vyew is a browser-based Web presentation service that allows for custom branding and PowerPoint-like authoring. With Vyew, you can give a live presentation or just post a document for your colleagues to review at their convenience.

Features include real-time desktop sharing, whiteboarding and drawing tools, embedded comments, built-in voice over IP, free teleconferencing, built-in webcam video support, text chat, dedicated rooms and direct URLs and more. It’s a complete solution for Web conferencing.

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Diploma in Project Management Less Accounting Less Accounting is a simple online accounting and invoicing program that is incredibly easy to use. Less Accounting has a variety of features, including proposal creation and tracking, mileage tracking, sales-lead management and expense tracking. You can import your existing Wesabe.com account, and you can even invite your CPA to look at your books. Less Accounting also sends a weekly email with an update on the status of your accounts.

LiveTimer LiveTimer is an easy-to-use time-tracking program that works on both your computer and iPhone. It can be used for billing purposes or simply to improve your productivity and accountability.

Features include a daily ledger, bulk time entry (by day or week), customizable classifications, multiple currencies, custom billing rates, intelligent report filters and a developer API. The iPhone integration makes it easy to track your time even if you’re not at your desk, making it more useful than many other Web-based time-tracking applications.

The main target of all the softwares above is to ease the job of the project management. The project manager can easily use the softwares or by using the templates available in those softwares, can do the management in project more effectively. And also by using the softwares the project manager can save lot of time.

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Diploma in Project Management Chapter 2: Question 2

This is the second question of the project 2.0 Explain the importance of managing Suppliers and Sub-contractors in Project Management

Supplier management is best described as an ongoing process that minimises the risks associated with purchasing goods, materials and services.

It ensures that products and services are more likely to meet agreed requirements from the point of first delivery and will continue to do so during their operational life. In the unlikely event that the product or service does not perform to its agreed requirements then corrective action can be implemented promptly.

Supplier management consists of three key elements: ď ś Supplier selection. ď ś Performance measurement. ď ś Supplier relationships.

Supplier selection embodies supplier categorization by strategic and financial importance with each category demanding different appraisal requirements and selection criteria with stringency in proportion to the impact on the business.

Within most organizations there are a small number of suppliers who enjoy very large amounts of business. The categorization process enables a concentrated focus on accredited and major suppliers and provides the means to closely control the largest proportion of the organisations total expenditure on goods and services.

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Diploma in Project Management

Supplier categorization also determines the method of monitoring supplier performance during the life of a contract. Monitoring the supplier’s performance will give advance warning of problems that may be developing, which lowers the risks and costs associated with having to react to post failure problems.

Managing the critical or strategic supplier’s ongoing relationship with the organization is vitally important. Supplier management provides the mechanism for a single interface between the business and its largest suppliers for regular formal reviews. It provides a platform for strategic discussions, building longer-term open and visible relationships on both sides.

Supply management delivers other significant benefits, namely a reduction in the number of suppliers used for each product or service. It ensures that suppliers for which there is no immediate demand, those who fail to meet the evaluation criteria and those who fail to perform satisfactorily are excluded.

The organization benefits from an optimum supply base, which will continually meet the product and service requirements of the organization in terms of cost, risk reduction and quality levels.

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Diploma in Project Management

Chapter 3: Question 3

This is the third question of the project 3.0 Explain the various types of problem solving tools and techniques

The essence of continual improvement is the ability to solve problems effectively. When an actual—or potential—problem crops up, its root cause is first identified, and action is taken to eliminate it. If an organization progressively seeks out and eliminates problems in this way, continual improvement results. It’s that simple.

Theorizing about problem solving as a cornerstone of continual improvement may be easy, but making it happen in a systematic and effective manner is much more difficult.

Problem-solving skills rarely come naturally; they must be refined and practiced daily. But these skills can be developed by most organizations.

There are six consistent fundamentals that are almost always present when problems are solved in lasting and effective ways. If these six fundamentals are incorporated into your problem-solving strategy, continual improvement will inevitably result. Let’s look closer at each of them.

Use a structured problem-solving method Although most people consider problem-solving methods a given, many organizations still use ad hoc methods for addressing problems. In other words, they latch on to the most obvious explanation for a problem and pray that they’ve addressed its root cause. An effective problemsolving method is simply a step-by-step road map for developing solutions. The numerous reasons for using a formal method are very convincing. Here are just a few: Project Management Assignment 2 | Chapter 3: Question 3 12

Diploma in Project Management

 Prevents problem solvers from jumping to conclusions. It’s always tempting to propose solutions before a problem is properly defined and its root cause identified. A structured problem-solving method prevents the process from short-circuiting and ensures the critical, preliminary step of truly understanding the problem and its variables.

 Ensures root cause analysis. An inability—or unwillingness—to identify the root cause is probably the single biggest obstacle to problem solving. However, when one of the explicit steps of a structured problem-solving method is identifying the root cause, it’s much harder to ignore.

 Demystifies the problem-solving process. When each step of the problem-solving method is understood and agreed upon by all participants, the process gives everyone an opportunity to contribute and drives a team-oriented style of problem solving.

 Prescribes which analytical tools to use and when. The sheer number of analytical tools available to problem solvers is mind-boggling, and it’s not always clear when the use of a certain one is appropriate. A structured problem-solving method offers guidance on when and how to use the proper tools.

Along with the numerous analytical tools available, there are many structured problem-solving methods. Some are copyrighted, some are public domain, some are very intricate and others are quite simple. Typically, they range in complexity from four to eight steps, but all the methods share the same basic themes. Therefore, it’s less important which problem-solving method you choose than actually picking one and using it. You can even make up your own Project Management Assignment 2 | Chapter 3: Question 3 13

Diploma in Project Management method. But for those who aren’t feeling particularly creative, it is welcome to adopt the strategy outlined below.

1. Decide on which problem to pursue. For some reason, this step is left out of many problemsolving methods. Maybe it’s assumed that participants will automatically know which problems are worth tackling. This is hardly ever the case. In most organizations there are countless opportunities for improvement but finite resources available to apply to them. Most organizations must prioritize the issues and dedicate resources accordingly. (Appropriate tools for this step include brainstorming, Pareto charts, run charts, pie charts, flowcharts and voting.)

2. Define the problem. In the clearest and most succinct terms possible, what exactly is the problem? Provide the details of who, what, where and when. "The customer states that the parts won’t run right," is an almost-worthless problem definition. Get specific. Keep in mind that carefully defining the problem will provide the raw material for successfully identifying its root cause. (Appropriate tools include brainstorming, Pareto charts, check sheets and histograms.)

3. Determine the root cause. Identifying a root cause proceeds directly from defining the problem itself. The typical obstacle at this step is mistaking a symptom for the root cause. Often the so-called "root cause" is nothing more than a restatement of the problem definition. Before team members are asked to participate in problem solving, they should receive training in how to distinguish symptoms from root causes. (Appropriate tools include interviewing, brainstorming, cause-and-effect diagrams, and voting.)

4. Generate possible solutions and choose the most likely one. This step works very well in a team setting, where it’s possible to generate a large number of alternative solutions. The trick is to cast a wide net, then narrow the possibilities to those solutions that satisfy the following criteria: They have a strong chance of being successfully implemented, they will be accepted by all relevant stakeholders and they truly address the root cause identified in the previous step.

Then agree upon a solution, either by group consensus or through executive decree.

(Appropriate tools include brainstorming, Pareto charts and voting.)

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Diploma in Project Management 5. Plan and execute the solution. Even the best solution is doomed to fail if its implementation isn’t carefully planned and executed. This process typically consists of two distinct phases: selling the solution to key stakeholders in order to get buy-in and methodical project planning to ensure the solution is executed correctly. It’s also helpful to notify the organization’s customers who will be affected by the solution. This reinforces the idea that the organization is dedicated to customer satisfaction and problem resolution. (Appropriate tools include project planning, effective presentation skills, selling skills and pilot runs.)

6. Verify effectiveness. After you’ve implemented your solution, someone must verify that it’s effective. The more objective this determination is, the better. It isn’t absolutely necessary that people outside the problem-solving team verify effectiveness, but it might be helpful in order to avoid bias. Whether they’re internal or external, customers are particularly good at shedding light in this regard. If a customer doesn’t perceive an improvement, then there is no improvement. Perception is everything. (Appropriate tools include auditing, interviewing, documentation, control charts and process capability.)

7. Communicate and congratulate. This step is routinely forgotten in many organizations. Most problem-solving methods I’ve seen don’t address this issue, even though communication drives an effort’s success at every stage. People crave information about how problems are being addressed and solved. This information creates a feeling of security and confidence and builds a culture of continual improvement. Recognition is also critical. People who successfully contribute to problem-solving efforts should be recognized for their work. Congratulations should be dignified, public and carried out by top management. (Appropriate tools include empathy, integrity, and effective speaking and writing skills.)

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Diploma in Project Management Chapter 4: Question 4

This is the 4th question of the project 4.0 Explain the importance of “Follow Up� in project management context

Traditionally this stage would be considered part of the project completion, but increasingly an emphasised additional stage of project follow-up is appropriate.

This is particularly so in very political environments, and/or where projects benefits have relatively low visibility and meaning to stakeholders (staff, customers, investors, etc), especially if the project also has very high costs, as ICT projects tend to do.

ICT (information and communications technology) projects often are like this - low visibility of benefits but very high costs, and also very high stress and risk levels too.

Project management almost always involves change management too, within which it's very important to consider the effects of the project on people who have to adapt to the change.

There is often a training or education need. There will almost certainly be an explanation need, in which for example methods like team briefing have prove very useful.

Whatever, when you are focused on project management it is easy to forget or ignore that many people are affected in some way by the results of the project. Change is difficult, even when it is good and for right reasons. Remembering this during and at the end of your project will help you achieve a project that is well received, as well as successful purely in project management terms.

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Diploma in Project Management Chapter 5: Question 5

This is the 5th question of the project 5.0 Explain the importance of documentation completion and hand over

It's important not to cut corners when it comes to project documentation, since documentation is critical to your project's success. You need to know how much documentation a given project needs to get it right the first time.

Both project and development managers love to deliver, be it cutting-edge software applications, network solutions, or construction projects. Their focus and passion is to design, build, test, and deploy solutions in the best possible manner. Sometimes, however, the importance of having project documentation in place for every project doesn’t always resonate with managers.

You can apply this example to any project. Each project is unique, and, therefore, requires unique documentation. The trick is to remember to add the appropriate documents once you’ve defined the methodology you’re going to use, and then decide which documents would really help drive the project through to a successful conclusion. For example, the concept phase would require a business case, feasibility study, and so on Both project and development managers need to realize that projects must be classified into groups in order to gauge how many documents each project needs. Here are some of the different types of projects you’ll typically encounter: Small projects—These projects range anywhere from one to four months in duration. The emphasis is on speed and completing the project as quickly as possible. Examples of such projects are small migration projects, creating a Web site, or simply upgrading existing systems.

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Diploma in Project Management Medium-size projects—These projects take up to 12 months to complete, and they’re the norm for most companies. They are not that quick to resolve, and they usually involve external vendors and integration. The level of risk and change control increases with medium-size projects. Such a project might be developing a network center in a new location, or a business intelligence project.

Super-size projects—These are the largest projects. They may take a few years to complete.

Examples of such projects are the development and deployment of a new billing system, a construction project, or other lengthy efforts.

By this you can get rough idea about the content of each type of project

Creating the right documentation the first time Sometimes project or development managers don’t want to recreate the proverbial wheel by creating brand-new documents for their projects. As an alternative, they can use a wide variety of tried-and-tested project templates. This gives the manager more time to concentrate on the actual project, rather than spending it on developing new documents from scratch. Whatever Project Management Assignment 2 | Chapter 5: Question 5 18

Diploma in Project Management you prefer to call them—templates, artifacts, or boilerplate templates—they form the backbone of essential project documentation.

Whether you’re managing projects throughout the entire lifecycle or simply developing technical specifications, you’ll surely have to deal with details from various sources throughout the project—such as the client, users, and vendors—and at some point you’ll have to write something down.

Specifically, project documentation focuses on guiding the project team and readers to:  Define the aim and background of the project.  Identify key deliverables and dates.  Document the technical parameters and technologies to be used.  Address the manner in which items will be built or deployed.  Assess items such as quality, scope, resources, risk, training, and cost.  Document any back-out or contingencies that could occur.  Communicate progress and update stakeholders.

Proper documentation is critical to your project’s success. Whether it’s in the form of source code, plain hardcopy documents, or transmitted in electronic form, you need to plan for and develop project documentation prior to starting the project. Managers should anticipate the time required for developing such documents and update them whenever a change occurs.

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Diploma in Project Management Chapter 6: References

Project Documentation [online]. (2002) [Accessed 7th May 2010]. Available from: <http://businessmanagement.suite101.com/article.cfm/documentation_in_projects>.

Project Documentation [online]. (2002) [Accessed 7th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.builderau.com.au/strategy/projectmanagement/soa/Projectdocumentation/0,339028292,320270566,00.htm> Project Documentation [online]. (1999) [Accessed 7th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-documentation.html>.

Project Details [online]. (2001) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm>.

Project Charter [online]. (2001) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1027882.html>.

Follow up [online]. (2005) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://elearndesign.org/betatest/followup/>.

Project management tools and techniques [online]. (2005) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/13/15-useful-project-management-tools/>.

Project management tools and techniques [online]. (2007) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.visitask.com/Project-management-Tools.asp> Project management tools and techniques [online]. (2007) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://www.aseansec.org/14421.htm>.

Project management tools and techniques [online]. (2007) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://httpd.apache.org/docs-project/>.

Project management tools and techniques [online]. (2007) [Accessed 8th May 2010]. Available from: <http://infodoc.plover.net/>

Note: Harvard referencing is used in this Documentation Project Management Assignment 2 | Chapter 6: References 20